You Found Me
by brb.gotta.find.nemo
Summary: Wes is trying to make some sense of his life. Zoe is struggling to get over her knight in shining armor, who is currently living the fraternity life in New York. Colt can't rely on anyone but himself. Amanda is fighting to hide her true identity.


**You Found Me**

**A Surviving High School One Shot**

_**I found God on the corner of 1**__**st**__** and Amistad**_

_**Where the West was all but won**_

_**All alone, smoking his last cigarette**_

_**I said "Where you been?"**_

_**He said ask anything**_

_**Where were you when everything was falling apart?**_

Wes sat in his gloomy little trailer, rubbing his hands together for warmth. Even as he tried to create friction, the coldness seemed to strike his skin like needles.

_**All my days were spent by the telephone that never rang**_

Besides the fact that he was freezing his ass off, the boredom was setting in, like it usually does after school. He looked over at his crappy phone, which remains silent.

_**And all I needed was a call that never came**_

_**To the corner of 1**__**st**__** and Amistad**_

He picks it up and scrolls for one of his contacts: Autumn. His finger hovered over the call button. He so desperately needed to hear her voice, her laugh. **No. **Wes didn't need her. He didn't need anyone. He threw the phone across the room and it land with a loud thunk after hitting the trailer wall and leaving a dent. And with that, he left the trailer, feeling that the walls were collapsing in on him, just like the rest of his life was.

_**Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me**_

_**Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded**_

Zoe couldn't take it anymore. She left the cafeteria, fighting off the hot tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She locked herself in one of the girl's bathroom stalls, finally letting the tears escape. It's just a rumor, a dumb rumor. People know it's not true right?

_**Why'd you have to wait? Where were you?**_

_**Where were you?**_

A knock on the bathroom door snaps Zoe out of her pity party. She sniffles and wipe at her face. Upon leaving the stall, she caught a glimpse in the mirror. It was obvious that she'd been crying, but at this point, she didn't care. She swung the bathroom door open, and was greeted by a pair of strong arms. The person pulled her to his chest, enveloping her in a hug. It didn't take her long to realize it was Nate Crawford. She went to push him away, but a strange thought ran through her head. She liked this. She liked being hug. She felt **appreciated, wanted, loved, in a way. **So she stayed in his embrace.

_**Just a little late, you found me, you found me!**_

As Nate held her, she started to imagine that his pale arms were Howard's muscular, tan ones.

_**The early morning, the city breaks**_

Colt Warren got up early and made his little sister breakfast and lunch for school. He did this every morning. It wasn't really a chore for him, or an obligation. He loved the look on his sister's face when she saw the pancakes and her lunchbox packed and ready to go. He allowed himself one look out the window of their small house. Of course his dad wasn't home. Colt had learned a long time ago to not expect anything out of anyone. But with his dad, he always slipped up, giving him chance after chance to make things right and maybe actually spend time with Colt and Maddie.

_**And I've been calling for years and years and years and years  
**_

_**And you never left me no messages  
**_

_**You never sent me no letters**_

Colt had done everything the past few years to catch his dad's attention: various piercings, a motorcycle, failing grades. No luck. Just that same blank face and the excuse that he had to go to work.

_**You got some kind of nerve taking all I want!  
**_

The days that he actually did spend some time at home, were days of silence and awkwardness in the Warren household. They acted more like strangers than family. But sometimes, he would actually bring home dinner, or Maddie a little present. At times like this, hope rose through Colt. But he quickly killed it with his bitterness. **Never** rely on someone, not even your dad.

_**Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me  
**_

_**Lying on the floor, where were you? Where were you?**_

Amanda Applebee had to literally bite her tongue to not answer the question that Mr. Russell had thrown at his students. They all stay silent. A feeling of incomprehension settled around the classroom, like a plague. Amanda twirled her pink pen in her hand, anything to distract herself from answering the question.

_**Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me  
**_

_**Lying on the floor surrounded, surrounded  
**_

_**Why'd you have to wait? Where were you?**_

If she was her sister, Allison Applebee, her hand would've shot in the air as soon as the question left Mr. Russell's lips and waved it around to catch his attention. But Amanda was nothing like Allison. Maybe on the inside, but definitely not on the outside. For, on Friday nights, Amanda would be prepping for a wild party while Allison would be studying. Amanda is living the teenage dream. But, why is it taking her all her will power not to not answer this stupid question?

_**Where were you?  
**_

_**Just a little late, you found me, you found me.**_

_**Why'd you have to wait to find me, to find me?**_

Each second feels like an hour and Amanda finds herself exhaling in relief when the teacher moves on. Luckily, her mouth stayed shut. She must do as expected. And everyone knows Amanda Applebee as the **dumb **redhead.


End file.
